Poster #179 - Early Intervention to Promote School Readiness for Preschoolers with Externalizing Behavior Problems and Language Impairment

• In Event: 3-053 - Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Section - School Readiness/Childcare

Integrative Statement

School readiness (SR) is comprised of a host of domains including academic, behavioral, language, and self-regulatory skills (High, 2008). These skills are fundamental in the transition to kindergarten, as they are strong predictors of later academic success (Duncan et al., 2007). This is particularly relevant for children with externalizing behavior problems (EBPs), who experience academic, social, and self-regulation deficits as early as preschool (Schoemaker et al., 2012; Bulotsky-Shearer & Fantuzzo, 2011; Keane & Calkins, 2004). Similarly, children with language impairment (LI) also experience difficulties across SR domains (Henry et al., 2012; Justice et al., 2009). Given the elevated rates of EBP symptomatology in children with LI (Peterson et al., 2013), it is of interest to examine how co-occurring symptoms impact SR skills. While behavioral treatments have been effective in reducing children’s EBPs and increasing SR skills (Pelham & Fabiano, 2008), less work has been done examining SR outcomes for children with EBP’s and comorbid LI. Hence, the goal of this study was to examine SR outcomes in preschoolers with EBPs and LI after an intensive summer SR intervention.
Participants included 91 preschoolers with elevated levels of EBPs and comorbid LI (Mage=4.77, SD= .56, 76% male, 82% Hispanic/Latino). All children participated in an 8-week Summer Treatment Program for Pre-Kindergarteners (STP-PreK; Graziano & Hart, 2016) and received speech therapy for 30 minutes/4 days a week. The program incorporates a behavior modification system adapted from the Summer Treatment Program (Pelham et al., 2010), with children participating in daily activities to build their SR skills. Parents receive daily feedback about their child’s performance and attend a weekly course, the School Readiness Parenting Program (SRPP; Graziano et al., 2017), which combines behavior parent training approaches with skills training on other SR topics (e.g., promoting home literacy). Results of an open and randomized trial of the STP-PreK are reported elsewhere (Graziano & Hart, 2016; Graziano, Slavec, Hart, Garcia, & Pelham, 2014). Academic outcomes were measured via the Bracken School Readiness Assessment (BSRA-3; Bracken, 2007) and Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement (WJ-IV; Schrank, Mather, McGrew, 2014). Behavior ratings were obtained via parent report of EBPs on the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-2; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2007) and Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale (Pelham et al., 1992). Children’s language skills were assessed via the Preschool Language Scale (PLS-5; Zimmerman, Steiner, & Pond, 2011). Self-Regulation skills (i.e., emotion regulation and executive functioning) were assessed on the Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC; Shields & Cicchetti, 1995) and Head Toes Knees Shoulders Task (HTKS; Ponitz, et al., 2008). All assessments were conducted pre-and-post treatment.
Please see Table 1 for results. Paired sample T-tests comparing pre- and post-test scores reveal improvements with small to large effect sizes across academic, behavioral, language, and self-regulatory domains of functioning. These findings highlight that children with comorbid EBPs and LI can make significant improvements across SR domains through an intensive behavioral intervention with integrated speech therapy. The implications of these findings for early intervention targeting school readiness, specifically for children with EBPs and LI will be discussed.

Authors

• Della Gregg, Florida International University
  Presenting Author

• Katie Hart, Florida International University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Samantha Vaquerano, Florida International University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sisan Cuervo, University of Cincinnati
  Non-Presenting Author

• Mildred Suarez, Florida International University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Paulo Graziano, Florida International University
  Non-Presenting Author